Crews are responding to a new Southern California fire that was reported in Oxnard on Monday night.
Live footage from AlertCalifornia showed flames of the Auto Fire spreading near the River Ridge Golf Course around 8 p.m.
At 9:05 p.m., the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for Zone 1, which included the Santa Clara River between Ventura Road and Victoria Avenue.
Although no structures are within the evacuation zone, Ventura County spokesperson Andrew Dowd said “Anyone in and around the river bottom needs to get to a safe location.”
“Immediate threat to life,” officials said. “This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW. The area is lawfully closed to public access.”
According to officials, no residential structures were under evacuation as of 9:30 p.m.
(Ventura County Sheriff Emergency Services – Incident Dashboard)
“The fire is confined to the riverbed and poses no threat to structures at this time,” stated an alert update on the county’s emergency website.
County officials said Victoria Avenue was closed between Gonzales Road and Olivas Park Drive as of 9:30 p.m., asking drivers to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.
The California Highway Patrol incident page reported seeing a large fire breaking out in the Santa Clara River bottom at around 7:15 p.m. near Ventura Road and Auto Center Drive.
Approximately 75 firefighters with the Ventura County Fire and Oxnard Fire departments were on the scene of the 5-acre Auto Fire, with officials noting on social media that the blaze is “medium fuels with a moderate rate of spread.”
An aerial view of the Auto Fire is seen in Ventura County around 10 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2025. (Sky5)
An aerial view of the Auto Fire is seen in Ventura County around 10 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2025. (Sky5)
An aerial view of the Auto Fire is seen in Ventura County around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2025.
An aerial view of the Auto Fire is seen in Ventura County around 9:50 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2025.
An aerial view of the Auto Fire is seen in Ventura County around 9:50 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2025.
An aerial view of the Auto Fire is seen in Ventura County around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2025.
An aerial view of the Auto Fire is seen in Ventura County around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2025.
Firefighters on the scene of the Auto Fire in Oxnard on Jan. 13, 2025. (VCFD)
Firefighters on the scene of the Auto Fire in Oxnard on Jan. 13, 2025. (VCFD)
Within an hour of igniting, Auto Fire in Ventura County seen from Willis Peak 1 camera on Jan. 13, 2025. (AlertCalifornia)
Within an hour of igniting, Auto Fire in Ventura County seen from Willis Peak 1 camera on Jan. 13, 2025. (AlertCalifornia)
The fire was upgraded at around 9 p.m. to a first alarm brush response bringing in an additional five engines and one bulldozer, according to the Watch Duty App.
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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